Sectional condenser



March 1 1927.

J. PRICE SECTIONAL CONDENSER Filed Septf29. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WWW , 1,619,034 March 1 1927- J, PRICE SECTIONAL CONDENSER Filed Sept. 29. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 SECTI ONAL CONDENSER Filed Sept. 29/ 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lNVEItlTOR m kwmxw ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PRICE, OF-NEW YORK, H. Y., ASSIGNORjTO THE GRISCOlI-RUSSELL COMPANY,

I OF NEW YORK, N..Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SECTIONAL oonnnnsnn.

Application filed September 29, 1924. Serial No. 740,440.

' The present invention relates to a heatinterchanging apparatus for effecting heat transfer between fluids and has to do particularly with an apparatus intended primarily for use in the handling of oil vapors.

Oil vapors issuing from the still are com-'- monly at high temperatures and contain, both in the form of sensible heat and latent heat, a considerable quantity of heat which 7 must be extracted before the distilled vapors can be reduced to 1i uids at suitable temperatures for storage. he vapors issuing from the still must be condensed and in the condensation of the vapors it is desirable to retain in the system. as much as is possible of the available heatcontained in the vapors. The vapors comprise a number of constituents '"f diflerent degrees of volatility and these various constituents condense out at different temperatures. Similarly, the viscosity of the condensed liquid varies with temperature. .It is therefore a matter of particular difiiculty to accomplish an efleotive and eflicient heat interchange involving oil as one or both of the heat-interchanging fluids' It is a princi al object of this invention to provide a eat-interchange apparatus which is sim le in construction, easy erect and particularly accessible for the purpose of inspection and repair into which the vapors may be directed and passed along the heat transferring surfaces of'the apparatus in sustained contact with thesesurfaces and in such fashion that the most efficient heat transfer is'obtained. In the handling of vapors and particularly in the handling of such fluids as oils wherein the viscosity of the condensate increases with lowering temperature, the velocity of flow of the heat transferrin fluids along the heattransferring sur aces is of major importance in determining the efficiency of the heat transfer. ,Hea'ttransfer rates vary with the velocity of flow. In order to secure an effective heat-transfer for instance in the cooling of oil-""the-oil vaporsand resulting condensate on e one hand must be passed along the heat-transferring tubes in close contact with the tube surfaces and at an .appro riate velocity to eflect proper heat interc ange. Similarly, the working fluid of the units as to coo crate in producin must be passed through the tubes at a suitable velocity in order that it may absorb and conduct off the heat transferred to it from the fluid at the exterior of the tubes. The present invention contemplates theprovision of a heat-interchange ap aratus wherein sufficiently high velocities" or eflicient and eifeetive heat interchange are obtained in a simple structure of low cost and without necessity of employin a ressure head greater than that which is originally permissible for this class of ap aratus.

condensate between the respective units in a plurality of paths of flow for the pur se of securing the requisite velocities. passages may also conveniently serve to supto port the respective condenser units in super posed relation, thus facilitating the erection I of the unit.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sectional heat interchange apparatus of the class referred to wherein each of the individual units of the apparatus is provided with suitable, bafliing means to dl-,

rect the fluid traversing the ap aratus into sustained intimate contact wit the heattran'sferring tubes and at the same time to insure the passage of the fluid along the tubes at a proper velocity to secure an efficient heat lnterchange. The baflies m the several units are arranged with ect to each other in such fashion that a continuous flowof fluid occurs throughout all of p the units of the apparatus in such fashion as to secure a proper heat interchange. The

fluid passages between the respective units are so positioned with respect to the bullies the cat desired character 0 flow along the transferring surfaces.

It is also an object to provide an. appara tus of this class designed to function as'a fractional condenser and arranged in such. fashion that certain of the constituents of the incoming vapors are condensed out in each of the several units of theapparatus and are collected and withdrawn from these respective units. The liquids withdrawn from the respective units are composed of constituents of difi'erent volatility.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying draw ings, in which-v 1 Fig. Lis a diagrammatic view showing a system, for the distillation of oil which embodies the heat interchange apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through a heat interchange apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational View of the apparatus of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4- is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of appaf ratus.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a still further modified form of apparatus. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view illus= tratin an ap aratus embodying my invention w ich is esigned for fractional condensation of the incoming vapors.

dill

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an oil still from whence the evolved vapors pass upward through the line 2, through the dephlegmator or fractional condenser 3 and into the sectional condenser indicated genorally at 4. The vapors pass up through the several units of the sectional condenser 4; occupying the space surrounding the tubes of the units, after which the uncondensed vapors pass along line 5, through the worm or condenser 6 and from thence into the storage tank 7. The condensate which forms during the passage of the vapors through the dephle mater 3 and sectional condenser 4 runs bac under the influence of ravity and by reason of the heat from the still and the vapors issuing from the still is subjected to a further distillation. The coolin medium is sup lied to the sectional con enser 4 through t e line 8' and after it traverses the tubes of the respective units of the condenser it issues through the outlet line 9. The individual condenser units are rovided with fioatin heads 10 which permlt of ex-' pansion an contraction of the heating elements under changes in temperature. At the opposite ends, the condenser units are provided with headers each divided by a central partition into an inlet chamber Ill and outlet chamber 12 after the fashion indicated'in Fig. 2, so that the incoming liquid enters, say one-half the tubes of the units and after traversing the ion h oi the unit returns through the other ha i ofthe tubes ducted in two parallel paths as indicated by the arrows on the figures.

Thev construction of. the sectional condenser is illustrated in detail in Fig. 2. In this apparatus the vapors are indicated as flowing downwardly through the several units instead of upwardly as shown in Fig. 1 where the condenser is used as a reflux condenser. The hot vapors enter at the inlet 14 located at the upperside of the upper unit at about themiddle of. its length. A discharge outlet 14' is provided on the lowermost unit. .The connections 13 on the intermediate units are spaced a art and are symmetrically located at both thetop and bottom of each of theintermediate units. The vapor entering throu 'hthe inlet 14 circulates around in contact with the heat transferring tubes 15 of the uppermost unit from whence it passes down through. the outlet openings 13 into the next lower condenser unit. This mtermedi ate unit is rovided with baflies 16 designed to deflect t e vapors after the fashion indicated by the arrows and thus pass them along the heat transferring tubes in contact with the tube surfaces to thereb efiect a satisfactory heat exchan e. The aifies are arranged to maintain e vapors inheattransferring relation with the tubes 15 for a material length of time and to pass the vapors along the tubes at a proper velocity for the entire time during which the vapors are in contact with the tubes. The condenser may consist of any desired number of indior six or more units are desirable, in which case all of the intermediate units are identical and are constructed after the fashion of the intermediate units shown in..Fig. 2. The

upper and lower units differ from the intype of bafilin g means igiiifdirecting the flow of the fluid..-

The apparatus of Fig. l employs a somewhat diii erent ty e or bae. In this structure, the bafiie p ates 17 extend from each end of the condenser unit to a point near the middle of the unit. With this arrangements the incoming fluid must pass around the battle at its end adjacent the middle of the line 22.

securing a sufliciently long period of contact of the vapors with the heat transferring tubes. It also serves to pass the vapors in substantial parallelism with the length of the tubes. A further development along this line is indicated in Fig. 5 wherein two bafiics 18 are provided at each end of the intermediate unit and extend to a point near the middle of the length of the unit, and an addi tional battle 19 is provided at about the median line of the shell and falls just short of the respective ends of the shell to thus pro vide a passage around its ends for the fluid traversing the unit. With this arrangement a prolonged contact of the vapors with the heat transferring tubing is secured and the flow throughout, the apparatus is substantially parallel with the extent of the tubing and at the same time the fluid traverses the shell in two parallel paths with the result that proper velocities for efl'ective heat transfer may be obtained satisfactorily.

The apparatus of Fig. 6 is designed to operate as a fractional condenser so that some of the constituents of the incoming vapors may be condensed out and collected in each of the respective units of the apparatus. In this arrangement the vapor is preferably admitted to the uppermost unit through the inlet opening 14 from whence it is circulated about in heat exchanging relation with the tubes of that unit. The discharge outlet 20 is positioned at a. point somewhat above the bottom of the conden er unit so that the condensate formed may collect in the bottom of the unit as indicated at 21 and may be withdrawn through the outlet The vapors passing through the unit uncondensed pass through line 23 and enter the next lower condensing unit of the apparatus. Each of the condensin units may, as shown, be provided with outlets p0- sitioned above the bottom of the unit so that a quantity of condensate collects in each unit and may be withdrawn as desired. Since the temperatures of the units become successively lower the fractions condensed out in the respective units will be of successively.

lower boiling point and thus a ffictional condensation of the vapors is effected.

Water may be used as a cooling medium or, as is the practice in many commercial installations, the cold oil 011 its way to the still is employed as a cooling medium.

medium. For instance, the initial units may, if desired, be supplied with oil on its.

way to the still to thus serve as acooling medium, while the other units may be supplied with water to thus serve essentially as condenser units.

I claim- I 1. Heat exchange apparatus of the class described comprising a plurality of heat interchange. units including an initial unit, an intermediate unit and an end unit, arranged one above the other, heat transferring tubes in said respective units for conveying one of the heat transferring fluids, bullies in said intermediate unit extending from the ends thereof toward the middle to thereby deflect the incoming fluid toward the middle of the unit in substantial parallelism with said tubes, inlets near both ends of the units on one side of said bafiles, and outlets near both ends of the units on the opposite sides of the bafllcs so that the incoming fluid is led through the apparatus in a plurality of parallel paths.

2. Heat exchange apparatus of the class described comprising a plurality of heat in* unit in substantial parallelism wit-h the extent of the said tubes, a battle interposed between said first mentioned baffles and extending substantially throughout the length of the unit and permitting passage of fluid around its respective ends, and a plurality of inlets and outlet openings positioned near the ends of said units whereby the fluid traversing the space surrounding the tubes is conveyed in a plurality of tortuous paths in intimate and extended contact with the said tubes.

3. Heat exchange apparatus of theclass described comprising a plurality of heat interchange units arranged one above the other, heat transferring tubes in said respective units for conveying one of the heat transferring fluids, a-vapor inlet on the-initial unit, a pair of spaced outlets on said unit, an intermediate unit having a pair of inlet openings cooperating with said spaced outlets to thereby constitute a support for the upper unit, battles in said intermediate unit cooperating with said inlet and outlet openings for bringing said vapors into sustained contact with the heat transferring tubes in a plurality of parallel paths.

4. Heat exchange apparatus. of the class described comprising a plurality of heat interchange units arranged one above the other, heat transferring tubes in said res-pective units for conveying one of the treat transferring fluids, a vapor inlet on the Hippermost unit, a pair of spaced outlets. .on

said unit, anintermediate unit having a pair of inlet openings cooperating with said spaced outlets to thereby constitute a support for the upper unit, bafiles in said intermediate unit for deflecting the flow of va pors entering the respective inlet openings and bringing said vapors into sustained contact with the heat transferring tubes, said vapors traversing said intermediate unit in parallel paths of flow, spaced inlets in the 10 lowermost unit for receiving the discharge from the intermediate units and a single opening at the bottom of said lowermost unit. In testifnony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH PRICE. 

